Mack and Jacks African Amber clone
Actually I do a combo on keg conditioning. 2oz of sugar, and 20# pressure for a week, then into the kegerator at serving pressure of 8#, if there's room. And there usually is.
Brewski wrote:
Actually I do a combo on keg conditioning. 2oz of sugar, and 20# pressure for a week, then into the kegerator at serving pressure of 8#, if there's room. And there usually is.
I remember you saying you do this before- and I am just not exactly sure why you use the sugar addition if force carbing? Do you add the sugar and wait a week at carbing temp first, then put under gas? The gas not only carbs, but semi-conditions as well blowing suspended yeast to the bottom and out the first couple pours, I am just wondering if your sugar is even getting fermented, or just sweetening your beer? Whatever works best I suppose, just curious is all.
Well, I don't have a cool place to force carb, & only room for 2 kegs in the fridge.
I tried straight force carbing, and had poor results at room temp, 76F in summer, 68F in winter. Did 20 -25# for a week, then would go in the fridge at serving pressure 8#, would take another week or so to carb up. Tried the high pressure, roll it around senerio, didn't seem much better. Drank a lot of flat beer.
Then I noticed that BeerSmith had a "Kegged (Corn Sugar)" option & tried it. Worked well.
So, now I rack from secondary into the keg w/ 2oz of sugar (in water), attach my 2nd CO2 tank to the "out" plug, forcing the CO2 to the bottom & purging the air (O2) out the top. The small amout of sugar seems to ferm out quickly, & I get some CO2 dissolving at the higher temps.
So, in a week, I can put the keg in the fridge in the AM & serve in the PM. Works for me.
I actually have been thinking of the sugar conditioning in a keg lately, for space reasons.
I use one keg that has a trimmed dip tube. I use it as a sort of "bright beer tank" application.
I'll rack fermented beer off to that keg and refridgerate and force carb. Then a week later or so the cold condition step has helped clear the beer (sort of like a much faster "seconday" fermentor).
The shorter dip tube lets me then transfer with CO2 pressure and leave much of the settled trub behind.
So maybe using corn sugar and letting it carb up warm in my "bright beer tank keg" would save me space, CO2 and fridge energy. After its carbed I could chill to settle and transfer to a fresh keg under presser to maintain carbonation.
I did this exact method for a BGSA that I wanted to bottle condition to 3.5 vols. Only I immediately bottled 3/4 of the keg once I mixed the sugar, then let the remainng 1/4 of the keg ferment out and served under normal pressure.
My curiosity for Brewski was why he was bothering with only 2 oz, and then force carbing, but he did a more than adequate explanation to my curiosity and it does make sense, to each their own, and whatever works I suppose.
thirsty wrote:
My curiosity for Brewski was why he was bothering with only 2 oz, and then force carbing, but he did a more than adequate explanation to my curiosity and it does make sense, to each their own, and whatever works I suppose.
Well said and that's the beauty of homebrewing.
My oh my, is that a wonderful brew or what!!!! 
Popped 'er in the fridge Saturday evening, had my first draught on Sunday afternoon.
The cascades & orange peel melded or something, can't find either of them, just a kind of round warm, tart citrus that balances the malt.
Be doing this again, soon. Don't think this batch is going to age very long. Especially if the kids come over this weekend.
Glad you like it, that's exactly what the orange peel is supposed to do. They say there is nothing in the beer but the Cascade, bull#$%t. I think I accidently stumbled on to what they do. When you have a real Mac and Jacks, it's the same thing, it's citrus, but not the hops, you just can't peg it. The next thing you know you've had 4 of them trying to figure it out.
Yeah, kinda did that last night. Slept well. 
Well, the kids came over this weekend. They loved it. 
It's all gone. 
I'm down to 2 six packs of the mack and jack. Very nice beer. Wife even loved it and she is real picky about her beer. Nice malty start and barely detectible orange flavor in the end. Might have to make it again this weekend.
DC
Yea, this one is really a crowd pleaser. It's also a good one to try different techniques on. I just bought a lb of magnum online for 20 bucks. going to do an all magnum version of this, I'm guessing I can use less, but still get the bitterness I want, plus the magnum still has that nice citrus.
I finally got around to brewing this one today. I messed with it just a little bit though- had to, cant leavr things alone!
I did 20# 2 row
2# munich
2# c-80
.5# special roast
1# melanoidin
3 oz cents 60
2.5 oz cascade flameout
fresh orange peel 10 min
us-04 fermenting at 64
Overshot the OG a tich, came in at .062
Looks pretty, hope it tastes that way!
I'll be doing this one again, probably on Monday.
Just can't do anything under 1.060, can ya Thirsty.
Even if you try.
Thirsty, are you gonna dry hop it? Man that really makes it.
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